WHEN WE WERE LOVERS- FLASH FICTION ROMANCE

Arnold stared at the clock as his hands drummed a steady beat on his desk. The black clock hung on the white wall while a few brown stains crawled on the areas beside the desk the intern was sitting on.

“Sir, can I go home now?” 

Arnold looked up at the pretty girl whose braids sat like a gold crown on her head adorned with gold pieces and curls.

“Sir?” 

“You can go home,” Arnold said and turned to his desktop.

“Wait!” Arnold called as she turned around, a smile on her face.

“What’s the name of your fragrance?” he asked.

“Oh, I use Giordani Gold Essenza Blossom Parfum. You like?” she asked, a sly smile tugged on her lips. 

Arnold cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. 

“How much is it?” 

“It costs fifty-two thousand naira. It smells really nice, right?” 

“Yes,” Arnold’s eyes darted towards her cleavage which was slightly open and his desktop. 

He wondered how she was able to maintain her fragrance throughout the day. His wife would have already been reeking of sweat but he remembered, the office was air conditioned and his wife was a primary school teacher.

“In case you are interested, my friend sells. You can get for yourself and your wife-“

“Thank you. See you tomorrow,” Arnold said and turned his focus to his laptop. 

Sally walked out of the office and he let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding. He loosened his tie and stared at the bulge between his legs. 

‘That was close,’ he thought to himself.

He gathered some documents from his desk and put them in his briefcase. A few minutes later, he was in his car driving down a narrow dirt road. He stopped in front of a jewelry shop and bought a pearl necklace.

He drove back home and shut the door behind him. 

Three children sat in front of a television, singing along to a program. They greeted him when he passed and he replied with a nod. 

The living room was littered with rice and toys. The aroma of fried eguisi filled the parlor and Arnold almost retched.

“Won’t you people clean up this place?” he asked the children angrily.

Tina -the eldest- hurriedly stood up and ran towards the kitchen. She returned with a broom and dustpan.

Arnold dashed into his room and shut the door loudly. A frown creased his face and he flung his shoe at the mirror on the dresser. 

There was a knock on the door but he ignored it. A few seconds later, his wife -Lydia- was standing beside him.

“Welcome sir. What’s wrong?” she asked politely while rocking the baby in her hands as her eyes scanned the broken mirror and it’s shards.

“You. Everything about you is wrong!”

Lydia wasn’t surprised.

“And you stand there like all is well. You don’t look good, you are too fat and what kind of hairstyle is this? What do they call it?” he barked.

“It’s thread. You know that as children of God we ought to be ye separate and our outward appearance should reflect our inward–”

 

“God didn’t say you should look like an abandoned project. He did not say the parlor should smell and look like a weapon fashioned against us. You were not like this in the beginning. You weren’t. Your pants are not even sexy, all that big nyash is hidden under maxi-size skirts and gowns. I don’t even remember what your hips look like anymore. When last did you even give me a good ride?”

“My husband, there are children outside. Your words are too lewd–”

“Just get out,” Arnold said as he removed his suit, anger clearly creasing his face.

“I am sorry. You are misunderstanding everything, I heard God clearly about my lifestyle–”

“Lydia, just go, abeg!”

Lydia sighed and was about walking out of the room when her eyes caught the jewelry box inside the open briefcase.

“Who is this for?” Lydia asked as she pulled out the box from the briefcase.

Arnold ignored her until she shoved the box in his face.

“Who is this for?” she asked more determined than ever.

“It is not your business. Get out.”

“Oh, that’s how it is now bah? After I have toiled for you as your wife–”

“Lydia, look at yourself. Are you happy with yourself? You think I don’t see how exhausted you are everyday? Didn’t I tell you to get a maid but you said it was not necessary, did I not?” Arnold sighed.

“What does that have to do with you getting jewelry for another woman?”

“It is for you. Today is valentine Lydia,” Arnold sighed and palmed his face.

Lydia looked at the box thoughtfully.

“And tomorrow is our anniversary. I wanted to surprise you but you look like an old woman. There’s nothing fun about you anymore and you don’t care about me. Sex these days is like a chore. Today, I had an erection for a small girl because she smelt lovely and dressed beautifully not even seductively. I miss my girl, the one whose eyes always held laughter, now you look like an old hag. I don’t even feel the sparks anymore. I have even thought of having a sugar baby.”

Arnold stood up and side stepped the shards on the floor. He hugged Lydia whose eyes were already brimming with tears. 

“I still love you and I know how much you do for this family but I don’t like coming back to a dirty parlor and a former beauty queen turned old hag. I want you and I want to take you out on a date today and tomorrow but not with this unpleasant hairstyle,” Arnold laughed.

Lydia smiled tearfully. 

“I love you too. I’m just very stressed and tired. I want to serve God and be your wife, babe!”

“I know baby. There are many women of God who dress modestly but still look gorgeous. Have you seen Mildred Okonkwo, Ibukun Awosika? Those women know ball and I know the woman I married. I don’t like that you started attending Deeper Life even though you know I’m a sucker for Christ Embassy. We don’t have to be divided, we can find compromise. Both of us grew up in Redeemed, we can go back there.”

Lydia swallowed a sob and Arnold kissed her lips tenderly.

“I am so sorry,” Lydia said as tears flooded her face.

“We’ll be fine,” Arnold said and hugged her. 

The baby began to cry and Lydia broke apart and hurried out of the room to make him something to eat.